


Arcanotale

by Archaon



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Female Chara, Gen, Male Frisk, Narrator Chara, No one is a saint (except maybe Papyrus), Novelization, Puns warning, Wizards
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-05-21 15:00:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6055966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archaon/pseuds/Archaon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even when born in a world where magic and technology entwined, Frisk was a very unusual child and proud of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meet the Frisk

 

The normally bustling capital city was still mostly sleeping, even though the sun's rays were already caressing the tall tower spires, their light reflected on multi-coloured windows that seemed to possess a life of their own. Only the merchants were already active, preparing to offer their wares to the crowds that would soon follow, though their voices were loud enough to slowly rouse the rest of the population.

The child paid little heed to the preparations, not quite running, but certainly walking excitedly towards their destination, determined smile plastered on pretty face. Said destination, a large, three-story building, seemed a lot less impressive during the day, despite the enormous billboard proclaiming it as 'Club Azure.' The tiny human ignored the currently sealed main gates and ducked into a nearby alley, reaching a small semi-concealed wooden door and rapping vigorously on it.

A few moments later, the peephole on the door slid open and a pair of weary eyes peered through, measuring the young guest, who waved merrily. "Good morning," greeted the child, looking very nonchalant.

The adult hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "You're that urchin that's been shadowing Jocelyne, huh? She's expecting you." Bolts retreated and the door opened to reveal a woman in her mid-thirties, wearing a fluffy bathrobe. "I'll be watching you, kid," she added as the child walked in without hesitation. She had tried to sound severe, but after working the night shift, the only thing she really wanted was to sleep.

The small human's smile widened and a nod was offered, before the child rushed towards the kitchen.

"Frisk!" exclaimed a younger female voice, moving to hug said child. "I'm glad you could make it! Come on, I've made pancakes." The girl was about sixteen and seemed radiant, dressed in plain, practical clothes that did nothing to diminish her innate beauty. She seemed ready for an outing, though not before making sure her little helper was well-fed.

Frisk laughed and returned the hug. "Morning, Jocelyne! I'd bring tulips, but they'd blush to roses after seeing you!"

The girl giggled, shaking her head. "Same old Frisk," she replied, ruffling the child's hair as the pancakes were viciously attacked. Her face turned concerned. "Did you find a decent place to sleep yesterday," she asked, picking a straw of hay from said hair.

Frisk gulped down a large pancake piece, took a deep breath and nodded. "Unused stable. Nobody chased me out either, so it was a good night."

Jocelyne sighed, then concentrated, the faint green outline of a heart appearing on her chest. It was a very simple spell and by no means an alternative to bathing, but it took care of some of the dirt and grime clinging on the child. "You could come live with us, Frisk," she suggested quietly. "The other girls love you and…"

Frisk smiled at her. "I don't want to be a hassle. I can take care of myself."

The girl frowned. "You're always saying that. I know that the theater owner offered you a place too." She passed her hand through Frisk's hair again. "You're still working there, right?"

The kid nodded. "I'm playing the kidnapped princess these days. I preferred the lumberjack role, but that play stopped being so popular."

Jocelyne smirked. "You should trim this jungle, 'princess'," she teased. "No wonder people can't tell you're a boy anymore!"

Frisk laughed, wiping a line of syrup that was trickling down his chin. "I don't mind it. It keeps people off-guard. The only thing gender does for me is that I don't have to do as many squats," he explained, winking at the end.

The girl sighed again. "That will change in a hurry in a few short years," she reminded him.

The boy shrugged. "Well, of course. I can't work here with you if people can't tell what I am." His face turned mischievous. "Though even as a girl, I wouldn't hold a candle to your star, sweet stuff."

Jocelyne groaned. "Let's get out there, Casanova. I love you and all, but I'm starting to see why they say a brothel is no place for kids your age," she decided, indicating their surroundings.

Frisk just wiggled his eyebrows.

**-f-c-a-**

The duo soon reached the main part of the outdoor market and started browsing the displayed wares. Jocelyne didn't mind doing the shopping for Club Azure on her off days, as long as she wasn't alone. Even though the Magi Corps were keeping major crime at bay, petty theft was still an issue, especially while among so many people.

Of course, company was not the only reason she wanted Frisk along. "Get the potatoes," she instructed, as she focused on the tomato in her hands, trying to decide whether it was good enough. The boy grabbed the large bag, slightly smaller than his own height, and it vanished in a sprinkle of red sparks. Inventory magic was not exactly unheard of, but the girl always marveled at how an untrained street rat like Frisk had mastered something that many actual wizards struggled with.

The idle thought was interrupted when something briefly bumped on her. Turning around only revealed more people, but her eyes went wide when she felt the absence of her purse. "Frisk!" she started nervously, only to realize her companion had vanished.

Three streets away, a young girl retreated from the crowds, biting her lip even while smiling.

"Hey you!"

She turned around scared, only for her eyes to narrow as she saw a kid a bit older than her. "What?" she demanded, trying and failing to sound menacing.

Frisk offered her a tiny smile. "I think you dropped this," he replied politely, holding a banged up mobile phone.

The girl blinked, her eyes going wide when she checked her pockets and failed to find her dingy cellphone. "Give it here!" she snapped.

The boy approached slowly and held it out for her. She snatched it from his palm, then blinked as his free hand touched her shoulder faster than she could follow. "Be more careful next time, my brilliant lily," whispered Frisk huskily, looking at her intensely.

The girl went beet-red and tried to speak, though Frisk waved once and sped away before she could conjure a response.

"Where were you?" asked Jocelyne, a bit miffed, when Frisk returned. Instead of a response, he materialized her purse and tossed it at her. "How did you...?"

"One does not simply pickpocket my friends when I'm around," he declared proudly, producing a second purse and riffling through it.

Jocelyne giggled, raising a brow. "And what's that one?" she asked intrigued.

Frisk shrugged. "A bit of coin for my trouble. It was already stolen, so it doesn't count as theft, right?"

The older girl just shook her head, very amused.

**-f-c-a-**

"We are being followed," stated Frisk calmly as they left the mag-train station. "Two guys, middle-aged."

Jocelyne didn't even bother to ask if he was sure. "Should we make a run for it?" she responded, trying to resist the urge to turn around. They were still about ten city blocks away from Club Azure, but at least it was familiar territory.

The young boy shook his head. "Too far. Also, they seem to be well off. No muggers. If they want trouble, they'll have hired muscle."

"Cut through the alleys?" she suggested.

Frisk hesitated. "We'll lose the crowd's protection," he muttered.

Jocelyne looked around. "Not many people, anyway. I say we take the chance."

He sighed, then nodded. The duo turned away from the main street as naturally as possible, then increased their walking speed as soon as they were out of sight. Frisk almost dared to believe they had escaped, silently berating himself when they turned a corner and saw a wall that hadn't been there before.

"What…? How…?" tried Jocelyne, running her hands over the unexpected obstacle. "Magic residue…" she decided.

Frisk tugged her sleeve. "They're here."

The two men were both dressed in flashy, high-quality clothes and seemed to have a presence that set Frisk's instincts on edge. The first one, very self-assured, approached nonchalantly, while the second one seemed apprehensive, electing to stay back.

"What do you want?" demanded Jocelyne, valiantly trying to sound intimidating.

The approaching man smelled faintly of alcohol, though he seemed slightly tipsy rather than drunk. He was also smiling indulgently at the girl. "How cruel! You don't remember your true love!" he exclaimed, sounding both excited and a bit hurt.

Jocelyne blinked, then her eyes widened. "I know you. You've been coming to the club every other night for the past month!"

The man shook his head, his rich black hair glinting in the sun. "Alas. Would that I could have shared your embrace every night…" His smile widened. "But fear not, Jocelyne! I have come to liberate you from your grueling, unthankful life."

Both Frisk and the other man rolled their eyes at the theatrics. The girl, though, seemed to blush, before raising a brow. "Look… Aramis," she tried, after making an effort to remember the man's name. "I'm neither a slave nor unhappy, so…"

He interrupted her, reaching and grabbing her hand. "Marry me, my love!" he proposed. "I am a man of means and I wish nothing more than to share my life with you."

Jocelyne laughed nervously. "That's flattering, I guess," she replied awkwardly. "…but I hardly know you! Perhaps we can take this… a bit slower?"

Aramis froze at that, then nodded slowly. "I see…" he muttered. She was just about to sigh in relief, when he went on. "I see that your cruel owner has you under a spell, a geas even. Fear not, sweet maiden, for I am a wizard of great power." His grip hardened and the girl cried in pain.

He would have said more, if not for a fierce kick that landed right at his sheen, causing him to gasp and let go. "Who dares?" he demanded, finally noticing Frisk that was glaring at him.

"You were hurting her," accused the boy, stepping between Jocelyne and her suitor.

Aramis snarled, his eyes cloudy. Perhaps the spirits in his bloodstream were starting to affect him more. "You little pest!" he shouted, raising his hand. The faint outline of an orange heart appeared on his chest and Frisk felt his own red soul peeking through his sweater.

"Aramis, you're overreacting," cautioned his companion, who seemed reluctant to interfere.

The wizard ignored that and Frisk had to dodge to the side as a conjured icicle, long as his arm, almost impaled him, lodging half way into a wall instead. Jocelyne shouted the boy's name, but Frisk was already moving, stepping to the man's side even as he extended his arm. A curved dagger was recalled from his inventory and he slashed as he passed by, cutting through fabric and leaving an angry red line on his foe's thigh.

Aramis howled in pain and released a cone of freezing-cold air towards the child, but Frisk ducked and rolled, ignoring the tiny ice cubes that ended up adorning his hair. His next attack was a deep stab on the wizard's calf, which caused the man to topple like a venerable oak. Capitalizing on his advantage, frisk brought the pommel of his dagger down hard on Aramis' temple, causing a gash and knocking him silly. He was about to try again for unconsciousness, but instead leaped away from the downed suitor, dodging a thin bolt of blue lightning. He glared at the second wizard, who had apparently only attacked after his friend had gone down, his own soul a dark blue.

Knowing the other man had the advantage in range, he started dashing, dodging multiple shocking projectiles. The wizard frowned and summoned more of his power, filling the narrow alley floor with lighting, then gawking as the human boy leaped away, then jumped again off the wall, spun in the air and landed a couple of meters before him, unharmed and hardly slowed.

As a last ditch effort, the wizard summoned a wall of thorny briars, which immediately burst into fire. His surprise was complete when Frisk barreled through the barrier without hesitation, ignoring the superficial gashes and burns all over his body and bowling over the unfortunate wizard, landing on top of him and bringing his dagger to rest on the other's unguarded neck.

"Don't move," he demanded evenly.

The wizard blinked, then smiled sheepishly. "You got me," he admitted, staying very still.

Frisk ignored him. "Jocelyne, get out of here now!"

The girl seemed torn, looking from Aramis, who was groaning and stirring, to the boy and his hostage. "I can't just leave…."

"Now!" demanded Frisk. "Don't go back to the club. Hide in our secret spot and call the boss. I'll meet you there."

Jocelyne bit her lip and hesitated a bit more, her eyes teary, then nodded and ran.

"That was magnificently done, kid," commented the second wizard, sounding very calm.

Frisk frowned at him. "Don't patronize me. Try anything and you won't walk away."

The blue wizard sighed. "You've never killed before," he replied. "I can tell."

The boy raised a brow. While he felt nervous, his hands were steady and his attention rapt. "That doesn't mean I won't protect my friend. If you give me a reason, I won't hesitate."

The trapped adult smiled. "I would expect nothing less from someone Determined enough to pass right through my burning bush shield without batting an eye. Most alive things are afraid of fire, you know."

Frisk smirked. "I was a bit **fired up** ," he admitted.

"It was a **prickly situation,** for sure," joked the other. "But that's to be expected from a red soul, I guess," he added.

The boy sighed. "I know it's rare, but it's a bit annoying when people keep mentioning it," he complained.

The wizard's smile did not diminish. "You should come to the Academy. Aramis won't try anything if you join. I can feel your power, untrained as it is. I'm sure there'll be a scholarship with your name on it."

"I'll think of it," replied Frisk non-committedly. Satisfied Jocelyne was far enough, he placed a hand on the wizard's pants, used his inventory magic to vanish them, to their owner's disbelief, then materialized them around his hostage's head, effectively blinding him.

By the time the wizard had untangled himself, the boy was long gone. The blue wizard eyed his companion, who was blabbering something incoherent, and sighed. "At least your idiocy has had a positive side-effect for once…" he muttered.

**-f-c-a-**

Frisk peeked around the corner, making sure no one was following him, then hurried towards the large, forested park that seemed alien in the heart of the bustling human city. Passing through the ornamental metal gate, he veered off the tiled paths, fearlessly diving through a thicket of tall trees and dense bushes. He ended up in a small, concealed area, where Jocelyne was anxiously waiting for him.

"Frisk!" she exclaimed worriedly. "Are you alright? You are full of scratches and burns! Your arm is bleeding!"

He tried to laugh off her concern, but she'd have none of it. Mustering what little magic power there was in her body, the older girl channeled it all into a healing spell, her green soul glowing brightly under her clothes. By the time she was done, her breathing was erratic and she had to sit on the ground or risk toppling over.

Frisk frowned at her, even as his body went from injured to half-way healed. "You'll burn yourself out if you try that again," he warned. "You didn't even need to do that! You know I heal very fast."

She managed a glare. "You just saved me and got hurt. And your arm is still bleeding. You don't get a say." She opened her purse and pulled a bandage roll.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Fine! You seem to be on a **roll** , anyway," he replied, sticking his tongue out.

She raised a brow at that. "I'd give you a **roll** in the hay, but you're still too short."

Frisk shrugged. "If that's how you want to **roll,** don't let me ruin your nurse **role-** playing."

They eyed each other intently as Jocelyne finished tying the last of his wounds, then they were both reduced to laughter, that also served to reduce the stress of their current predicament.

"What has the boss said?" asked Frisk after they had calmed down.

The girl sighed. "That Aramis creep won't give up so easily and he has friends in high places. The boss is putting me on protection detail. I'll probably vanish for a couple months, until things cool off."

Frisk nodded. "Thank goodness Mr. Giovanni is a good man…" He allowed himself a chuckle. "For a brothel owner, that is," he added.

Jocelyne also smiled. "True. Otherwise I'd be off to see the wizard."

"Nice going, 'Alice'. How long will you have to wait here?"

As if on cue, the girl's cellphone beeped, indicating a text message. "My ride will be here in five." She eyed Frisk carefully, weighing her next words. "That crummy wizard might go after you too. You've humiliated him."

Frisk tried to play it off as insignificant. "He didn't even know I was there until I started carving him up. Avoiding him will be easy," he bragged.

Jocelyne's eyes narrowed. "Come with me. I've already talked to the boss. He can protect you too."

The boy shook his head. "I don't even work for him," he replied stubbornly. "At least not yet." He blinked at his own words. "Do you think he'll take me on after this one?" he asked hopefully.

The girl sighed. "I've told you. You're still too young to be either a guard or an… entertainer." She hesitated. "And anyway, I think you can do better."

Frisk made a face. "If it's good enough for you…"

She interrupted him. "That's the point! My magic is weak, I can barely read and the only thing I have going for me is a pretty face. You spend hours in the public library, you are already casting inventory magic and beating up grown wizards, and you're still a kid."

The boy lied on his back on the grassy ground, hands behind his head. "That's what the second wizard said. Decent guy, really." He tore his eyes from the clear sky and smiled at her. "I don't think I could stand going to the Academy. I like being free. That's why I ran from the orphanage."

Jocelyne tried to smile back, but he could tell she was tearing. "You won't come with me, then. Where will you hide?"

Frisk shrugged. "It's summer. I'll probably go for a hike outside the city. If that Aramis guy wants revenge, he'll have to comb the countryside. I have a couple hiding places out there."

A car horn sounded from the street and they both leaped back to their feet. "That's my ride," said the girl while hugging him.

Frisk winked at her. "That driver had better have some extra coolant, cause you're so pretty, his engine will be overheating," he said cheekily.

Jocelyne blinked in disbelief, then grabbed him and kissed him right on the lips. "The only way to shut you up," she said before bolting, getting on board a black van as Frisk did his best to wipe his mouth clean of slobber.

**-f-c-a-**

Frisk had been walking along the chain fence for a few hours and the sun was already low on the horizon. He had left the city the previous day, after seeing Jocelyne off and grabbing some supplies, and he had camped hidden under a bridge when it had got dark, setting off again at dawn. As the second night approached, he located a large bush and carefully crept behind it.

The fence was fortified with strong magic and was full of warning signs that promised danger and death. Most folks believed that simply crossing it would be lethal, but Frisk knew better. He located a small hole behind the bush and crawled through, hurrying away as soon as he passed, in the off chance someone saw him.

Frisk allowed himself a sigh of relief. Nobody would follow him here and the area inside the fence had more than enough forage and small game to keep him alive and well-fed. As the shadow of Mount Ebott lengthened, he started going up a slope, trying to remember where the closest habitable cave was.

**-f-c-a-**

The human child finished the last of the roasted rabbit with gusto, making sure his little campfire wouldn't go out of control and regarding his rolled sleeping bag longingly. After the long trek, Frisk knew he'd fall asleep in a moment if he tried, but was also aware that napping right after eating was a bad habit. Sighing, he materialized a book from his inventory and started killing time.

A couple hours later, his eyes snapped open. He had almost dozed off, despite the interesting storyline of his book, but a faint voice had woken him up. At first he wanted to attribute it to the gentle summer breeze caressing the night, but as the seconds ticked by, he became more and more convinced it had been a human voice.

No other humans that he knew of ever came to Mount Ebott. Everyone knew it was horribly cursed.

Still drowsy from his almost nap, he slowly exited his cave, dagger in hand, and tried to hear the sound again, straining his senses. Disorientated and with his night vision still useless, he stumbled in the dark outside his shelter, trying to remember the lay of the land.

He knew he had failed when the ground under his feet gave way. Instinctively letting go of his weapon, he tried to grab at something that whooshed past his face, a sturdy, straight branch, probably from a fallen tree.

It failed to support his weight and snapped.

Frisk fell through the oppressing darkness, down a deep well whose bottom he couldn't see. For a moment he felt as if passing through jello, then his free fall resumed.

The last thing he saw was yellow flowers.

The last thing he heard was bones snapping.

Then everything went dark.

**-f-c-a-**

**End of chapter 1.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome readers! I hope you've enjoyed this so far. I could just leave it here as a one-shot, never to be touched again. I assume you all know what comes next. OR, it could be the pilot chapter for a new long story, provided enough people like it.
> 
> Why magic? It's simple. After playing all game paths and looking up some info, I'm convinced the world outside the Barrier is NOT the same world that's outside our windows. The dates and technology progression simply won't add up, to say nothing about the wizards that erected the Barrier in the first place.
> 
> About Frisk: My version is not the idealized, mute little saint many regard him to be. The addition of a certain disembodied voice in his head will not help matters. Also, determination is not only a source of power but an actual personality trait.
> 
> Keep in mind that my updates are erratic at best. The next chapter, provided it's ever written, might be hours or months away.
> 
> Be sure to tell me what you think!


	2. CHARActer interACTion

 

She was not alive.

She was not dead.

But somewhere in-between.

Splinters, enough to maybe form a tenth of a human soul when put together, sustaining a slumbering spirit with intact but useless memories, lingering by a buried body that was little more than bones, held together by absurd amounts of pure, undiluted Determination.

With her body's brain gone, her thoughts were slow as molasses, patches of ectoplasm lacking focus. She could still feel the disruptions in the time-stream and she remembered them all, her Determination more than enough to SAVE the few new memories she sluggishly acquired across the countless LOADs.

She had also felt the six that came after her, that had fallen on her grave and ventured forth. She had felt their Determination, abnormal even by human standards and yet so much less than her own. Each time, it had failed to rouse her.

Her last words, spoken in desperation, often replayed in her mind.

'In this world, it's kill or be killed.'

It was her second to last memory before her current void. The last memory was intense love and hate, both aimed at the same individual. Love that had allowed her to keep **him** alive for a few more minutes, before their shared body had turned to dust. Hate for **his** betrayal.

Her cyclic thoughts suddenly stopped and she felt a new presence, a strong presence. For the first time in ages, she managed to form intent. Using all of her power, she called out once. Her mental shout was the second thing to ever exit the Barrier since its creation.

When the seventh human fell, she felt more aware than ever. She reached out and tried to see. She encountered a massive soul, brilliant red but cracked. She couldn't see the broken body underneath. Power equal to hers flooded her senses and she moved, thrusting all she was towards her goal, leaving the remains of her former body behind.

Just before the red soul could shatter and vanish, she held it together, melding with it and forcing it back to its body, which started healing rapidly.

A weary monster king stopped sipping his tea, blinking dumbly for a moment. The most powerful human wizards shuddered as they felt the universal balance shifting. A powerful fish warrior stopped in mid-thrust during training, her energy spear still, as she felt a twinge inside her. An animated, sentient skeleton felt his eye socket glowing blue. A soulless vessel, the previous ruler of time, shuddered without knowing why.

Unknowingly, they had all felt the moment when two became one, forming the vastest pool of Determination in the local multiverse.

**-f-c-a-**

Frisk woke up very slowly, his whole body sore, though the sunlight warming his face actually felt welcome. He was lying on a bed of golden flowers, inside a smallish underground cave. It only took him a moment to recall his nocturnal idiocy and fall, and he promptly looked upwards, sighing at the spectacle. He knew at once there was no way he could ever climb up the shaft in which he had fallen, not without climbing gear or strong magic.

Having established that, he inspected himself. There were bloody spots all over his clothes, but he could find no injury at all on his body, despite some lingering phantom pain. Frankly, he was surprised he had even survived the fall. For a second, the unbidden thought he had not survived surfaced in his mind, but he quickly dismissed it as silly.

Deciding that sitting among the flowers would not help, he leaped to his feet and inspected the cave, soon following the only logical path: a long corridor that ended up to a large stone arc, an ornate gate carved on the rock that led to a larger natural chamber.

The only defining feature therein was a single golden flower, far larger than the others, that turned around and looked right at him, a radiant smile on its childish face.

"Howdy! I'm Flowey! Flowey the flower!" The voice was high-pitched and, despite its friendliness, Frisk felt a certain degree of uneasiness.

Ignoring his dubious stare, the flower went on, volunteering to teach him how to survive in the underworld. Frisk blinked as he felt his soul resonating to the flower's magic. Instead of a faint outline, the heart-shaped object jumped right out of his chest, suspended just before him and glowing softly.

"This is uncomfortable," he muttered, feeling exposed.

Flowey seemed to pause when the soul's colour proved to be red, then continued. "Your soul starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain lots of LV. That stands for LOVE, of course," it added cutely. "You want some LOVE, don't you?"

Frisk blinked, then smirked awkwardly. "Is this the part where amorous vines burst out of the ground?" he asked cheekily.

The flower cocked his head in incomprehension, then dismissed the whole thing, offering to 'share' LOVE through his 'little white friendliness pellets.'

An arc of projectiles appeared suspended above the plant, then flew towards him. He was still debating whether to actually avoid them, when a strange voice resounded in his mind.

' _Dodge!_ **''**

He complied.

Flowey seemed surprised it had missed and encouraged Frisk to accept its generous offer, growing more and more frustrated as the youth dodged the next waves. Its face changed into a fanged, grotesque smirk. "You know what's going on here, don't you?" it asked, its voice horribly distorted. "You just wanted to see me suffer!"

Frisk raised a brow. "How many hours did you spent in front of a mirror to perfect this look?" he laughed. "I'd rather we be **fronds** than **anemones,** but if you don't **leaf** me alone, you'll regret it," he threatened.

The flower's face contorted to something demonic. "DIE!" Thorny vines erupted from the ground and whipped at the agile child.

"Called it!" shouted Frisk, wincing as one of the thorns scored a glancing hit. He tried to recall his dagger through magic, then groaned when he remembered he had lost it. The only thing in his inventory remotely resembling a weapon was that same snapped stick that had failed to endure his weight when he had fallen.

Reasoning it was better than nothing, he took it and jabbed at one of the vines, raising a brow when Flowey winced. "You are kind of wimpy," he observed, gulping when the chamber seemed to fill with white bullets, all homing on his position. He ducked and rolled, abruptly tugging at a vine and using it momentarily as a shield.

"You slippery poo-poo head!" exclaimed the flower, redoubling its efforts. "You can't keep at it forever."

The fallen child knew that to be true. His efforts were valiant, but soon he found himself cornered, and crossed his arms to protect his face and soul. The 'friendliness' pellets would have probably killed him anyway, if not for a sudden bolt of fire that collided with the murderous flower and uprooted it, causing all vines and projectiles to pop out of existence. Flowey screamed in pain, then vanished underground as soon as its roots returned to the soil.

Frisk looked around frantically, spotting and gawking at his savior who smiled back at him kindly.

**-f-c-a-**

Flowey appeared in a nearby cave, muttering to itself about bad timing and idiotic mothers. Sighing, it tried to reach for its SAVE file and roll back time a few hours so that it could try to grab Frisk's soul again, only to freeze when nothing happened.

The soulless flower's eyes went wide and it started shaking, though it wasn't sure if it was fear or excitement. Its power had never failed it in centuries. It tried again, focusing its Determination. It could feel the SAVE point through the time-stream, but the world seemed to deny it access, no matter how it struggled.

Panic.

Full blown hysteria.

In some, somehow still working, crevice of its mind, the former ruler of reality was thankful it literally lacked a heart. It was sure such an organ would have burst a hundred times in as many seconds. Idly, it noted it was screaming at max volume. At least it had instinctively retreated below the cavern soil, so it was less prone to being attacked.

Attacked.

Killed.

For the first time in centuries, Flowey felt the unbearable weight of mortality. It was too much and it fainted.

It wasn't sure how much time had passed when it regained its senses, but it felt drained, emptier than ever. That was a good thing, it reasoned. With all feeling spent, it could plan, it could scheme. No safety net, though, no LOADs to correct its errors.

All or nothing.

In wonder, Flowey turned and looked towards Frisk's general direction. A hesitant smile blossomed on its face. "This… this is different."

**-f-c-a-**

Frisk did not follow Toriel at once, even though he was still wary of tangling with that homicidal flower again. The female goat/dragon monster, the self-proclaimed caretaker of the Ruins, had magically healed his injuries with a casual wave of her hand and had beckoned him to follow her through the catacombs. Her compassion seemed genuine, but after meeting Flowey, he had decided to be more careful. The fact she was about twice his height did not exactly ease his mind.

There was also a foreign feeling of excitement he could not explain inside him, buzzing just below the surface of his mind.

In the end, Frisk had little choice but to trust her.

"Welcome to your new home, innocent one," proclaimed Toriel as they reached the first of many puzzle chambers.

Frisk only paid partial attention to the levers and pressure plates she activated, more focused on what she wasn't telling him. "This place looks like… a gauntlet," he said aloud. "It's full of obstacles and fortified positions."

Toriel bit her lip nervously. "It is true that this place was first built with a siege in mind. Back then we were afraid they would come and finish what they started," she muttered.

The child raised a brow. "What they started?" he echoed.

The boss monster shook her head. "You should not concern yourself with such grizzly matters, my child," she admonished. "Let us move on. This time, try to flip the switches yourself."

Frisk inspected the room, rolling his eyes at the two wall levers that were highlighted with bright yellow paint that was glinting in the artificial light every wall emanated. It was nice not to worry about darkness, but he wasn't fond of being considered stupid. With nary a thought, he flipped two of the three switches, causing a bed of painful-looking spikes to recede in the floor.

"The arrows were a bit too much," he complained as Toriel praised him for his achievement.

She had the grace to redden. "I apologize. I did not mean to demean you," she replied. "It is just that I was not sure what age the next human to fall would be. The youngest I have seen was 5 years old, so I had to be prepared."

The boy quirked a brow. "So, there are more humans here," he stated more than asked.

She seemed startled at first, then looked crestfallen. "We… we can talk about such subjects later," she stammered. She cleared her throat. "For now, look at this," she said, indicating a beat-up training dummy in the next room. "As a human living in the underground, monsters may attack you…"

Frisk very nearly up and left when she told him to 'strike up a friendly conversation' instead of attacking. However, the mere novelty of asking him to chat with a dummy stopped him. Humoring the older monster, he approached the inanimate object, very surprised when his soul once more appeared on his chest. He considered his options carefully, then smirked, bringing his head closer to the large doll.

"Are you made of **cotton** , beautiful?" he whispered seductively, running a hand smoothly down the dummy's torso. "Cause I think you're lover **material**." To his disbelief, it seemed as if the object of his affection was sweating. "Gee, it **seams** you've never **felt** like this before. I guess I'll **satin** my laurels now, hot **stuffing.** "

He would have continued, but the dummy suddenly started floating and hastily ran away, dancing in the air erratically. Frisk innocently looked at Toriel, who was trying very hard not to be reduced to a laughing wreck. Judging by her red cheeks, tearing eyes and wheezing breath, she was failing spectacularly.

"Oh… oh my," she managed after a while. "That was… so adorable."

_'Mom is still so easy to amuse…'_

Frisk blinked at the foreign thought, then smiled at her. She was trying so hard to mother him that he figured it would be okay. "Don't worry, **mom.** No matter what I said to it, my feelings for you are trans- **parent**. Your hotness is still at a maxi- **mom.** "

"Did you just…?"

' _Did you just….?!'_

While Toriel was very nearly shoving a fist in her mouth to contain her giggles, Frisk felt a faint presence in his mind that was so mortified by his lukewarm flirting attempt, differentiating it from his own thought process became easy. Even though tempted to confront the apparent anomaly, he decided following the boss monster took priority for now.

**-f-c-a-**

It wasn't long before disaster struck. Toriel seemed distracted and had gone on ahead after mentioning another puzzle, and Frisk wasn't any more attentive. Not only was he concerned he was going insane, but the voice in his head was also grumbling something unintelligible.

Therefore, it was not surprising that, when a giant frog leaped right on him, letting a loud croak and initiating combat, he attacked on instinct, all notions of talking evaporating.

He had expected his stick to cause at most a nasty bruise. It was neither very sharp nor too heavy, after all. Instead, he watched in disbelief as the otherwise harmless piece of wood was thrust right through the amphibian's eye and promptly reduced it to dust.

"Wha…what just happened?" asked Frisk petrified, his weapon hand shaking. He had felt something changing inside him, something increasing.

' _You just got EXP and reached LV 2. Congratulations!_ ' explained the mysterious voice in his head. It, or rather **she** , sounded much more distinct now.

"That frog…" tried the child, still uneasy.

' _It was a Froggit_ ,' explained the voice. ' _Dumb, but still alive and moderately sentient. Was that your first kill?_ ' she asked incredulously.

Frisk felt his hands sweating. "I… yes. I usually stop before… Why did it die so easily?"

The voice shrugged. ' _Monsters are a bit more… fragile than humans, under certain circumstances. I'll explain later, now follow mom before she comes back and finds you over a dust pile._ '

The child let a trembling sigh and nodded. He did not react in any way when Toriel took his hand and guided him through a sea of more spikes, taking a specific path that caused them to retreat.

**-f-c-a-**

Having calmed down, Frisk regarded the ancient cellphone with disinterest. After Toriel had tested his 'independence' by having him walk along an absurdly long corridor by himself, she had given him the device and had told him to wait for her while she run some errands. He would have normally protested, but, deep in thought as he was, he had merely nodded, plopping on the ground and resting against an ancient pillar.

"Piece of crap," he muttered, struggling with the phone's clunky keys.

He felt the voice in head sneer. ' _I'll have you know this used to be a very cool mobile,'_ she snapped. _'It has a long life magical battery and you can even play tic-tac-toe on it.'_

Frisk shook his head. "The screen has one colour, the buttons get stuck all the time and it's heavy as a brick. You act as if I insulted your own phone." He had said it as a joke, but the ensuing silence clued him in. "Wait, IS it your phone?"

' _Used to be..._ '

The fallen boy decided it was now or never. "Who and what are you?"

The voice hesitated, then cleared a throat she did not actually have. ' _Greetings. I'm Chara and I died a long time ago.'_

Frisk blinked. "So, are you a ghost? A monster?"

Chara scoffed. ' _Ghost monsters are actually visible and not really the remains of living things. And I first came from the surface, same as you.'_ She stopped talking and Frisk got the impression she had said more than she had wanted to.

The boy smiled. "So you are a human. Are you close to my age? You sound like it."

Before he had even completed the sentence, he could feel Chara's anger and underlying self-loathing. ' _I'm not a stinking human!'_ she shouted, causing him to wince. _'If you really want to stereotype me, better call me a demon! I should just consume your soul and take over your body! I should just…'_

Frisk was taken aback at her reaction, then sighed. "Chara, are you…okay?" When he realized no answer was forthcoming, he sighed and tried to figure out his 'new' phone again.

**-f-c-a-**

Toriel hurried along the empty roads of Home, eager to reach the vegetoid market. The first underground monster city was mostly in ruins these days, with very few people actually staying there, which was just as she wanted it. Almost none of the monsters remembered her as the missing queen and those that did, generally kept quiet. Home was isolated from the rest of the underground and mostly self-sufficient, though electricity was still provided from the Core. Only a couple merchant caravans would cross regularly and they still had to petition Toriel herself for passage, since she had complete control of the only gate to the main portion of the vast cavern.

Lost in thought as she was, she was startled when her phone rang. She visibly winced when she saw the caller's name.

Chara.

She should have changed the entry name centuries ago, but simply couldn't bring herself to erase one more piece of evidence her little girl had once existed. She took a deep breath and received the call.

"This is Toriel."

_"Hello mom, I just wanted to test the phone and say hi."_

The boss monster hesitated. She had ignored it the first time, thinking it was a slip of the tongue. She hadn't wanted to embarrass Frisk and she had also been trying not to explode into laughter.

"Did you just call me… mom?"

The confidence in Frisk's voice seemed to diminish. " _You…didn't complain before, so…"_

Toriel sighed as her mind conjured scenarios about why the human child was so ready to accept her like that. She hadn't asked anything about him, but she knew that normal people did not climb Mt. Ebott.

"Well, I suppose… Would it make you happy…to call me 'mother'?"

Frisk paused. " _I… only if you don't mind._ "

It was hard, she admitted to herself. In her eyes, she had failed that role eight times already. That was eight times too many, but in the end she just couldn't refuse. "Well then, call me whatever you like, my child!"

His sigh of relief was music to her ears. " _My second choice would have been 'magician',_ " he added innocently. " _Cause when you are around, everyone else disappears, love._ "

Her jaw very nearly hit the floor and she had to try very hard not to giggle. She knew she should NOT encourage him, but… "And after you asked to call me 'mother', too," she muttered, vaguely aware Frisk wasn't on the line any more.

**-f-c-a-**

_'You are despicable!'_

Frisk was still smiling three minutes after his call and Chara had had enough of his smugness.

"Oh, you're back?" he asked, feigning disinterest. It didn't work because they could read each other's surface thoughts and feelings.

' _I'm kind of… stuck with you,_ " she admitted reluctantly. ' _But seriously, stop flirting with Toriel!_ '

Frisk raised a brow. "What happened to calling her 'mom'?" When she didn't respond, he stretched a bit, magic'd his phone to his inventory and started walking.

' _She said to wait here,_ ' Chara reminded him.

"Don't you know the way?" he asked cheekily.

_'Well, of course, but…'_

"Then you are my map now, beautiful!"

_'FRISK!'_

**-f-c-a-**

"Another Froggit, huh?"

_'Life is difficult for it. You could kill it for EXP.'_

"I don't want to kill any more monsters…"

' _Whatever, just scare it…'_

"Good morning, charming amphibian! Seeing you makes me **mud** with excitement! I **hop** you feel the same."

_'Seriously now?'_

**-f-c-a-**

"Is this a swarm of cowardly ghost moths?"

_'Well, most Whimsun are too sensitive to fight. The EXP isn't worth it, either.'_

Frisk stayed still while the monsters circled around him. "They are still blocking our way, though…"

Chara did not have physical eyes, but his host got the impression she was doing the equivalent of rolling them. _'Raise your hand and wiggle your fingers. That how Whimsun flirt with each other.'_

The boy did so, frowning when the little insects freaked out and run away. "You lied!"

_'Remember what I said I am? That was just a **demon** stration of my abilities.' _

Frisk couldn't help but chuckle. Chara wasn't so bad when she stopped suggesting murder sprees.

**-f-c-a-**

_'The sign said to take one. You should be feeling like the scum of the earth…_ '

Frisk raised a brow. "It's free food. You don't seem like a person who'd pay attention to such signs, anyway."

' _Well, most of the candy is ruined now. At least none of them was chocolate. Tragedy averted.'_

The boy shrugged, then bent down.

_'What do you think you're…?_ '

He ignored her and kept collecting the spilt candy. "Five minute rule," he proclaimed proudly as he filled his inventory.

_'Seconds, Frisk, not minutes! It's supposed to be seconds!'_

Frisk frowned. "The floor is not that dirty…"

_'If I had a body, I'd barf…'_

**-f-c-a-**

Frisk ended the call and put away his cell once more. "Why was she so insistent on the butterscotch/cinnamon thing?" he asked perplexed.

Chara sighed. _'Mom...Toriel is all about trying her best for other people. Simply put, she wants to bribe you with pie.'_

The boy raised a brow. "I don't think 'bribe' means what you think it does..." His mouth watered. "Also, if she wants to, she can bribe me with pie all day, every day."

He could feel a smirk in his mind. _'Do you ever stop thinking about food? Typical male.'_

Frisk scoffed. "I wouldn't expect a ghost to know anything about hunger."

The phantom girl did the equivalent of crossing her arms. 'I said I'm hardly a ghost,' she riposted. 'If you want to see a REAL ghost, there's one over there and it's blocking our path.'

The boy stopped on his tracks, then retreated behind a wall corner. "It's pretty big," he whispered.

The ghost in question looked little more than a white sheet with very simple facial features, pretty much resembling the cheapest Halloween costume one could get. It wasn't completely opaque, but the last thing Frisk wanted was to try and pass through it. Beyond the rudeness of such an action, he could admit to himself he was a bit spooked out.

Chara sensed that, of course, and couldn't help but tease him. ' _Don't be a big baby! Ghosts aren't even that dangerous, **hauntestly.'**_ Feeling Frisk's brow twitch, she continued. ' _But even if it kills you, I assure you you will be **mist**_ **.'**

Frisk bit his lip to avoid laughing, then sat down, retrieving and slowly eating a monster candy.

"Chara, you might try to hide your concern, but I can **see** right **through** you."

As they rested, the two children, one alive, one dead, couldn't help but giggle at each other.

**-f-c-a-**

**End of chapter 2.**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hope that was enjoyable! I hope the puns weren't off-putting. Also, welcome to the neutral route.
> 
> I love the narrator!Chara concept. It makes way too much sense, with all that sassy flavor text in the game. Now I just have to keep her character somewhat believable.
> 
> Some may find the tempo slow, but I like to take my time, especially when there is potential for CHARActer development. Until next time!


	3. No patience

"What's with this candy?" asked Frisk absently, as he ate another one.

He was still resting in the chamber before the ghost, inwardly hoping it would leave and clear the way before he had to move on. There was nothing around but a table with a gross piece of dusty cheese on it and a mousehole.

Chara was feeling extra sarcastic, since she had realized she was sharing all of Frisk's senses, including taste. The signal was a bit muted, but she was still somewhat disgusted with his hygiene nonchalance.

 _'Did the taste_ _ **floor**_ _you? These sweets are_ _ **dirt**_ _cheap after all,'_ she quipped, prompting an amused eye-roll.

"I was talking about how they seem to dissolve as soon as I gulp them. Or the fact that I'm feeling healthier than a minute ago," he clarified.

He felt her giving him a mental nod. ' _That's right. I keep forgetting you're new. Monsters can't exactly grow normal crops down here. All food is magical in origin. It has all the nutrients of normal food and it never spoils, but it won't reach your stomach and won't really fill you up._ '

"Weird," stated the boy, eating a third piece of candy. With a sigh, he decided he couldn't stall any longer. "Time to do this. Do you know anything about it?" he asked as they slowly approached.

Chara considered that. _'It looks like a member of the Blook family.'_ She paused and blinked. _'Napstablook? Not sure how I know that…You can't really hurt or kill ghosts, so no EXP here,_ ' she added a bit disappointedly.

Frisk scoffed. "We need to have a long talk about your obsession with killing."

He could feel her mental sigh. _'I simply don't want to see you die too soon. Hitching a ride on you is the best thing that's happened to me since my death.'_

He mirrored her mood as he slowly approached the ghost. "You are so negative about everything," he complained.

She raised a mental brow. _'So that's why we're stuck together! Sheer magnetic force. I should..._ ' She paused as they stood before the ghost and Frisk could feel her incredulity. _'The dumb thing isn't even sleeping! It's just saying 'z' loudly!_ '

As if on cue, the annoying sound intensified. "... mr. ghost?" tried the boy, not wanting to get any closer.

_'Just push the damn thing!'_

"Umm... that wouldn't be very effective..."

Frisk's eyes went wide as the spectre in question cracked an eye open and stopped pretending to be asleep. "You heard her?" he exclaimed, his reservations apparently forgotten.

Napstablook blinked, then rose from the ground. "I heard something... Is your invisible friend playing a prank on me?" it asked, sniffling a bit.

The boy took a step back and raised his hands in a placating manner, as his soul appeared. "Not quite a prank to be frank," he joked weakly.

The ghost blinked in incomprehension and Chara sighed. ' _It doesn't seem to have a sense of humor, Frisk…'_

Napstablook's eyes went wide. "That's not true! I'm really funny," it declared, as actual tears started leaking from its eyes. Unlike normal tears, however, they did not comply with gravity, scattering at random angles. A couple fell on Frisk and he hissed in pain.

' _What a crybaby…_ ' muttered Chara, trying to think quietly. It seemed to work, as the ghost did not react and instead continued sobbing. ' _Try to dodge them! Ectoplasm really stings.'_

Frisk attempted to salvage the situation. "Hey, Napstablook, a pretty ghost like you shouldn't be crying. How about we… go eat ice-cream together, or something?" he asked hesitantly, cursing himself for not having asked more details about ghosts and dating spots.

' _I refuse to encourage you with that sort of information,'_ his guide declared resolutely, while he avoided more tears.

The ghost blinked at Frisk's clumsy flirting, then shook its head sadly, though its tear-sprinkling reduced in volume. "I…I'd just weigh you down," it lamented.

The boy grabbed at the golden chance, smiling indulgently. "That was a smart one! I know ghosts weigh nothing."

Napstablook eyed him curiously. "You thought that was smart?"

Frisk nodded. "Sure! You seem a bit depressing at first, but I can **see right through you**! You just need some help to **lift your spirits.** "

The ghost actually chuckled, its tears becoming a mere trickle. "People have told me that before, but never a stranger."

He felt he was on a roll now. "Well, that's weird. I bet you are very talented."

It seemed a bit uncomfortable, even as it smiled. "I sometimes make music, but… ah, yes. Let me try…" Its tears increased, but this time they flew upwards, their magic bringing them together and forming a classy hat on top of its head. "I call it 'dapper blook'," it half-bragged, half-fretted.

Frisk only had to feign some of his surprise. "It's pretty neat!" he decided.

Napstablook seemed to actually blush, though Frisk couldn't begin to imagine how that worked. "Oh, gee, really? I usually come here to be alone, but you…you are nice! I…I'm sorry, I'm rambling and I'm still in the way. Sorry…" Before Frisk could even respond, the ghost fled through a wall, leaving him alone with his passenger.

' _What a loser,_ ' groused Chara, sounding annoyed. _'It should be apologizing for drawing us in combat instead. Are you alright?_ " she asked, a bit more concerned.

Frisk sighed, popping another candy in his mouth. "I'll be fine. And I actually thought Napstablook was okay. It was just going through a phase."

' _Phase my ass! The whole place stinks of ectoplasm now. Let's get…. Hey watch your step!_ '

The warning came too late, as the floor below Frisk collapsed and he fell inside a pit.

**-f-c-a-**

Toriel was beside herself with worry. She had finished her shopping in record time and had been doing her best to return to her guest as fast as possible, when a small white dog ambushed her, successively stealing a bag of flour, her house keys and her cellphone as she tried to catch it. She would have rushed to Frisk anyway, pies and doors be damned, but after realizing how much time she had already wasted, she was sure Frisk wouldn't be waiting her in the long corridor anyway. She'd need her phone to locate him.

"Little puppy!" she shouted, trying to hide her despair. "Where are you? I shall give you a treat if you return my phone!"

She continued searching every nook and cranny urgently, trying and failing not to think of what could happen to a human lost in the ruins of Home. Toriel generally liked dogs, but she decided that if Frisk got hurt because of this incident, she'd burn the damn thing to a crisp.

**-f-c-a-**

Frisk woke up to the weird sensation of having his eyes open. Blinking dumbly, he clenched his hand, grabbing a handful of dead leaves.

' _About time you woke up, sleepyhead!'_ said Chara, sounding annoyed. ' _You didn't knock your head that hard._ '

Frisk sat up, bouncing a bit on the huge pile of brown leaves he had landed on. "You woke up before me?" he asked, looking around. Fortunately, they were alone. He didn't even want to think what would have happened if a monster had caught him sleeping.

He felt Chara's annoyance increasing. ' _You bet. I tried to wake you up, then to steer your body, but it felt like I was trapped in a meat prison,_ ' she explained angrily. ' _The most I could do was open your eyes, and the effort almost knocked me out a second time_.'

Frisk smirked. "I guess your demonic scheme to 'consume my soul and take over my body' will have to wait, then," he teased.

Interestingly, he could almost feel her blush on his own two cheeks. ' _Shut up!_ ' she demanded, soon regaining her composure. ' _If I recall correctly, there is a ladder around that corner that can return us upstairs. Hey what are you..?_ '

The boy had stopped listening, having found something interesting buried inside the leaves. It was a long red ribbon, made of fine, sturdy cloth. Its colour had faded quite a bit, to a dull rose red, but Frisk could tell it used to be really vibrant in the past. "It feels weird," he muttered, fingering it carefully. For some reason, touching it sent goose bumps all over his body.

Chara, who was also feeling the effect, tried to make light of it. ' _Maybe you should wear it. If you're cuter, monsters won't hit you as hard._ '

Frisk froze at that, eyes wide, and he gulped. "I… see," he whispered, a bit sadly.

' _What do you mean, you see? Wait, are you actually putting it on…? Where did you even learn how to tie a bow?'_

Frisk finished tying his hair in a short ponytail, expertly forming a perfect bow at the end, and sighed in relief. He hadn't realized how irritating his hair had been. "When you work in theater, you learn all sorts of things. How do I look?"

Chara did a mental scowl. ' _Girly? Ridiculous? How should I know? I can only see what you can.'_

"Right," he replied lightheartedly. "We'll just have to ask Toriel. Which way?"

' _As I was saying, go up the ladder and this time watch your step. There are a couple puzzles ahead and I'll only help you if you beg and grovel._ '

Frisk smiled and Chara was already groaning before the words formed. "You like your boys on their knees, miss kink, huh? Fine by me."

**-f-c-a-**

Frisk dodged an artichoke that passed by his head like a bullet, then leaped over a boiled zucchini as it bounced on the floor.

"Ok, why are we being bombarded by vegetables?"

His attempt to talk to his current opponent, a sentient, oversized monster carrot, had only produced a cackle and a jeer about how plants can't talk. He would have laughed if he wasn't fighting for his life.

' _Vegetoids are pushy little shits_ ,' replied Chara casually. ' _They are here for your health_.'

Frisk rolled his eyes as an eggplant whizzed by. "Very helpful, oh wise guide!"

"Eat your greens!" shrieked the plant monster as it flung more local produce at him.

"Do I actually have to eat the vegetables that detach from that monster's body as we speak?"

Chara sounded entirely too merry. ' _You have the_ _ **green**_ _light from me. I won't be_ _ **green**_ _with envy, even though I can't eat myself. If you weren't a_ _ **green**_ _horn, you'd find it natural. Are you feeling_ _ **green**_ _around the gills yet_?'

Frisk was already stuffing his face, if only to make his mind passenger shut up.

**-f-c-a-**

The weird pollen was easily dodged, but Frisk resumed staring at the monster before him in contemplation.

 _'Frisk, you can just leave._ The Moldsmal isn't going anywhere.'

The boy laughed a bit. "This wiggling is a bit mesmerizing," he confessed.

Chara sighed. ' _Ah, yes. So stereotypical. Curvaceously attractive, but no brains... It's a damn slime!_ '

Frisk faced the monster and smiled determined, then wiggled his hips seductively. The Moldsmal responded by moving in sync.

' _How meaningful!_ _Of course you'd try to flirt with the slime. Why on earth did I think otherwise?_ ' moaned the dead girl, shaking a head she didn't have.

"Fear not, dear," he declared. "I prefer your straightforward thinking to its sexy curves."

**-f-c-a-**

Frisk dove to the floor as a swarm of cockroach-like monsters about half his height zoomed above him, mandibles ready to mangle. "Why are these things so aggressive?" he whined. "At this rate, I'll have to fight back." The human boy didn't really want to kill any more monsters, but he knew he wouldn't hesitate if it came down to mortal combat.

The swarm released a rain of magic projectiles and he rolled away. A couple of them did hit him, however, and he winced. Chara also felt the pain, however reduced, and sighed. ' _Migosp are some of the gentlest monsters when on their own, but they are also both psychic and really submissive. You should be aiming for that bitch over there._ '

She didn't have actual fingers to point with, but Frisk soon spotted the solitary eyeball monster that seemed content to watch as the Migosp swarm attacked. "Is he… controlling them?"

Chara raised a mental brow. _'First off, that Loox is female. And yes, they are feeding off her aggression. Proximity pretty much forces them to include her in the hive mind and her intent is much stronger than theirs.'_

Frisk had ended up closer to the Loox and she seemed to notice the fact, attacking with her eyebeams, her single eye fixed on him. "Come on, guys!" She shouted. "If we capture the human, we'll get a fortune! We will be the best!"

"How to calm her down…" muttered the human boy, not quite asking for help.

His guide responded anyway. _'Loox can normally be reasoned with, but this one's power-tripping. Just kick her ass,_ ' she said viciously.

Frisk frowned as he once again dodged. His acrobatics were slowly turning physics-defying, aided by his own latent magic and causing his exposed soul to glow brightly. "I said, no killing if possible!"

Chara sighed. ' _You are a wimpy spoilsport… Look, you don't have to dust her. Just rough her up a bit and she'll flee. If you are conscious of your actions and truly intend not to kill her, you won't, at least not in one strike like that Froggit._ ' He blinked at that, feeling a bit apprehensive. Chara had not always been truthful, after all. She sensed his doubts and he could feel she was a bit hurt, but then she put forth a mental smirk. ' _Believe me or not, that's your call. I can't force you to trust me._ '

Cursing up a storm, Frisk suddenly dashed towards the Loox, taking an eyebeam head-on and body-checking her in return, causing them both to slide on the rough floor with him on the top. Despite being roughly the same size, he easily overpowered her arms and wacked her with his stick across her one big eye. She cried in pain, then whimpered. "I was wrong! Please don't kill me!"

"Call them off and get out!" he ordered cruelly as he got off her, and she scrambled out of the room, leaving a trail of tears.

The Migosp seemed to freeze when she got away, then completely abandoned their attack. Some started chattering and dancing, but one of them meekly approached Frisk, trembling a bit. "We are very sorry, human. She really wanted to catch you and we couldn't…"

The human boy smiled. "It's okay. Just try not to do it again."

The bug monster nodded vigorously, then offered him a small package. "It's a couple sandwiches. The least we can do as an apology."

Frisk accepted the gift and patted the little monster on the head, causing it to blush. He then waved them goodbye, his smile widening as all the bugs turned as one and waved back.

' _You are way too forgiving,_ ' complained Chara, as he started munching on a sandwich. It was pretty good, even though the cheese tasted a bit funny.

Frisk shrugged. "As you said, they couldn't help it. And anyway, I also got some money off them." To demonstrate, he materialized a handful of gold coins in his hand, tossing them in the air, then grabbing them and sending them back to his inventory.

Chara seemed flabbergasted. ' _What? When did you even…?_ '

"I have my ways," he replied, smirking cockily. After a while, though, his smile died down and his face turned solemn. "Sorry I hesitated. I thought you were trying to trick me back there…"

She giggled in his head. "You listened to me in the end and that's what matters. After all, humans are generally lying, wretched creatures, so I should be flattered."

Frisk did not respond to that, but decided the two of them also needed to have a long talk about their clashing worldviews. For now, though, there were more enemies to face and more puzzles to solve.

**-f-c-a-**

Toriel had only spent a moment in her house, just enough to drop off her shopping, and was ready to enter a sprint, her clawed hand already dialing Chara's number.

It had taken her some time to locate the mischievous white dog and recover everything, but she was determined to make no more mistakes. Refraining from preparing one of famous pies, or even tidying up a bit, she was very unprepared to hear the familiar ringtone from just behind the giant, leafless tree dominating her front yard.

Chara and Frisk had been busy arguing about whether the donut Frisk had bought from the nearby spider bake sale was actually edible, when the phone rang, startling both. The following gasp from Toriel compounded the awkwardness of the situation.

"How did you get here, my child?" asked the boss monster, her eyes scanning every inch of the human boy more thoroughly than security lasers. "You are not hurt," she decided at length, though Frisk's slightly more torn clothes did make her pause. "Impressive! But still…I should not have left you alone for so long," she decided regretfully. "Preparing a surprise certainly does not excuse the risks," she muttered mostly to herself. "Come small one!"

Frisk had not tried to get a word in edgewise, smiling at the motherly monster and following her inside the cozy house that seemed to be carved from the cavern rocks themselves.

**-f-c-a-**

He opened his eyes lazily and even the unfamiliar surroundings, bathed in very soft ambient light, failed to faze him. He slowly recalled his trek through the ruins, the fights and Chara's guidance. Frisk tried to talk to her, but no response came. The sad thought she had left was quickly replaced by relief when he remembered her admission that she was stuck with him.

"She's probably asleep," he muttered, stretching a bit.

He had been so tired before, that he had almost nodded off on his feet during the house tour Toriel had offered. The kind boss monster had noticed at once and had swiftly guided him to a bedroom; his bedroom apparently. He hadn't even bothered to undress or even take off his trusty boots, sleeping on the bed with his feet on the floor to avoid staining the sheets.

He decided to remove them on the spot, groaning in relief at the liberating feeling, then making a face as the smell registered. Simply put, he was a stinking mess, even by street urchin standards. His clothes were smelly and torn, full of holes and blood stains, his hair was sticky and the less said about his socks, the better.

He contemplated trying one of Jocelyne's self-cleaning spells, but he'd never been too good with simply, everyday magic. "I need a real shower," he concluded. His eyes wandered around the room, noticing a pile of neatly folded clean clothes that seemed to be his size, along with a large, strawberry-scented bath towel.

Five seconds later, he was already stark naked and running towards the door opposite his room, the house's only bathroom. Toriel had made it a point to show it to him, babbling something about how humans needed bathrooms for more reasons than monsters did and how monster architects had kept building them fully equipped out of tradition.

Frisk would have been content even with cold water and no soap, but instead he found himself indulging in the luxury that was scalding hot water and a variety of fruity shampoos. He lost himself in the sensations, which was why he didn't notice when Chara woke up.

The ghost girl regained consciousness very slowly, almost purring with pleasure. She hadn't had a shower in centuries after all. When true clarity came, though, and she remembered her circumstances, she mentally shrieked in embarrassment, causing Frisk to wince and almost stumble.

' _FRISK!_ '

The boy rolled his eyes. "Good morning to you too, princess," he joked. _"_ It is **suds** a joy hearing your voice again."

' _Why are you naked?_ ' she demanded.

Frisk giggled. "No need to work yourself up into a **lather**. I couldn't **bare** not having a shower."

' _This is hardly the time for puns!'_ she riposted, very agitated. ' _And don't look down!_ ' she added desperately.

The boy blatantly ignored her. Hot showers had been really rare in his life and he wanted to make sure that, for once, every inch of his body was squeaky clean. "You are such a prude," he concluded. "I thought that only showerheads get **turned on** when I shower," he added wiggling his eyebrows.

Chara released a final wail of indignation, then retreated as deeply into Frisk's consciousness as she could muster.

**-f-c-a-**

Only when Frisk was fully dressed again, clean stripped sweater and fluffy slippers included, did Chara's presence return to his mind, though the girl remained a stubbornly silent observer. The boy had returned to his room and was sitting on his bed, devouring a piece of butterscotch-cinnamon pie Toriel had left for him. When done, he finally released a sigh.

He was clean, fed and safe, even if the future seemed uncertain. The contentment of the moment…

… **it filled him with Determination.**

The boy blinked at the alien feeling. Even though most of his innate magic was a mystery to him, he knew how it felt. What had just flooded his senses for a second was something new, something potent that both scared and exhilarated him at the same time, without knowing why.

"What was that?" he asked aloud, his eyes wide.

Chara seemed to consider something, then dismiss it. ' _It was probably nothing important_ ,' she muttered, her resolve to give him the silent treatment forgotten. ' _Perhaps your reaction to all that monster food_?'

Frisk decided not to worry about it. "I want to explore," he said, taking out his cellphone and checking the time.

4:00 am.

The girl frowned. ' _Mom is probably asleep…_ '

The boy smirked. "Exactly! And I know just where to go!" Leaving his room and making sure to stay quiet, he reached the front hall and started descending a set of downward stairs. "Mom was extra careful not to mention this place," he explained.

Chara mentally rolled her eyes. ' _It leads outside, to the rest of the underworld. Mystery solved! Now go to the kitchen and look for some chocolate._ ' Her hopes were dashed when she felt Frisk's curiosity intensifying. ' _Fine, do what you want. I'll be inside you, judging._ '

The stairs led to a long corridor, which intersected vertically with what looked like a large tunnel. There were multiple wheel marks and footprints all over.

' _That's the passage connecting the Home region to the main cavern. Can we go back now?_ '

Frisk shook his head and started following the apparently well-travelled path, wincing a bit as a draft of freezing-cold wind caressed him. Ten minutes later, he was just about to give up and return, when he saw a pair of enormous, ominous doors, full with intricate runes and humming with magic. Mesmerized, he touched them, amazed when they yielded to his slight push and opened.

The now painful cold didn't even register as he stared ahead. The ground was white with snow and glowing pinpricks of light shone above the dense forest around him. A road, starting from the ruins' door, seemed to cut right through the trees, twisting out of sight in the distance.

It took him a while, but he figured it out. "We are still underground," he marveled. "This is just a huge cavern. The snow is conjured and the 'stars' are just glowing gems on the ceiling!"

Chara sighed. ' _And the first sleuthing prize goes to… some kid, who'll freeze to death soon. Just…_ ' She gasped as Frisk took a step forward. ' _Wait! The doors will…_ '

It was too late. The boy hadn't even managed to fully turn, when the doorway was resealed with a vicious slam, leaving the duo stranded.

Frisk touched, then banged on the doors, to no avail. "Chara, how do I open them again?"

'… _You don't,_ ' she deadpanned. ' _Not without the password, which I don't know. Call mom._ '

The boy gulped and shook his head. "Not happening."

Chara sighed. ' _If this is about stupid pride, I swear I'll…'_

He shook his head again. "Not happening, because I forgot the phone back in my room, when I checked the time."

His spirit guide did a mental facepalm. ' _Just great! Mom won't be up for hours, the closest village I know of is too far away and you're in a sweater and slippers at minus ten degrees! Pneumonia, here we come!_ '

Frisk was already shivering, but cracked a pained smile nonetheless. "That would be the **icing** on the cake."

He could feel grudging respect from his mindmate. ' _You're dedicated, but hypothermia_ _ **snow**_ _joking matter. We need to find shelter until morning._ '

The boy nodded and forced himself to take a step forward. The snow reached two times higher than his ankle. "This is going to suck," he muttered, trying to ignore the fact he couldn't feel his toes anymore. He tried to take a third step, then gasped and stopped moving.

He initially thought he was simply frozen solid on the spot, but then he noticed a dark blue aura around his body and, more importantly, his red soul, which had inexplicably appeared.

' _Frisk, look out! There is…_ '

She didn't finish her sentence, as she cried in pain, in unison with her host. Desperate, Frisk looked down, only to see a dozen sharpened bones mercilessly digging into his thighs, keeping him pinned and painting the snow crimson. Looking back up, he only saw a single bright blue eye staring at him from the darkness.

"Sorry, human. Nothing personal."

Frisk failed to process the words as a beam of white light engulfed him, searing away flesh, evaporating bones and only leaving his soul behind, suspended in midair above his ashes. His assailant tried to grab it, but at the same time Chara's mending failed and the red heart split in two, before shattering to a million pieces.

**End of chapter 3.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I think that's the kind of plot twist that will keep the readers' interest up, even if they know the game's plot. I always try to balance my stories with both humor and drama, both action and introspection. Whether I succeeded, is up to you.
> 
> By the way, go check my latest Undertale one-shot if you like Toriel.
> 
> I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.


	4. Irons in the fire

' _Holy shit! Damn it all to hell! When I find this bastard, I'm going to end them! Hands, feet, head, all going up their…_ '

"Chara…"

'… _Grind them to dust…_ '

"Chara!"

'… _Spawn of a lame gutter dog and a retarded dodo bird…_ '

"CHARA!"

' _SHUT UP FRISK! That asshole killed you! You…you…?_ '

The boy, sitting on his bed in Toriel's house, was alive and unharmed, physically speaking. "I'm…not dead," he whispered, biting his lip until it bled. His hands, trembling horribly, grabbed at his thighs, where the magic bone attack had impaled him. No pain answered back. "Was it… a dream? It felt so… real."

He materialized his cellphone and checked the time.

4:00 am.

Frisk hastily put on his boots, bolted from his room and went down the stairs like a child possessed. He ignored Chara's complaints and sprinted through the corridor, down the tunnel, all the way to the very familiar pair of ominous doors. With no intent to open them, he collapsed against the sealed passage, panting breathlessly, acutely registering the bitter cold coming from the other side.

"It was real…it was real…" he kept repeating in his mind, hugging himself tightly.

The dead girl in his mind sighed. ' _Frisk, I know you are in shock right now, but…'_ she stopped when she realized he wasn't really listening. ' _Snap out of it!_ ' Still no effect. ' _I know you are facing a_ _ **grave**_ _situation, right now. It was a_ _ **dead**_ _-set, horrible experience._ _ **Perish**_ _the thought, I'd make light of it, but even you know the time for panic has_ _ **expired**_ _!'_

She stopped talking and waited. The shivering boy twitched once, then twice. A sob and a snort of laughter followed. A few seconds later, Frisk was both crying and laughing, a torrent of opposing feelings raging in his mind. Chara weathered the mental storm as the boy exhausted himself and came down from what was probably a very confusing adrenaline high.

"These puns were horrible and you are the most thoughtless person in the universe," he declared resolutely after he was out of tears. "Thanks," he added meekly.

She sent him a mental smile, though marred with uneasiness. " _I…have a theory about what happened,_ " she said hesitantly.

**-f-c-a-**

Frisk strode back to his room, grabbing his bed and tugging with all his might.

Chara had been surprised at how fast the boy's determination had returned. At the first hint of explanation, he had discarded the bulk of his anxiety, seemingly replaced his spine with a rod of titanium and marched back like a hardened veteran.

Both children stared through the same eyes at what had been under, or rather, inside the bed, Chara incredulous, Frisk mystified.

A glowing, golden, insubstantial star, levitating just above the floor.

' _A SAVE point,_ ' she muttered in awe. ' _That feeling, that rush… It was you creating a SAVE point!'_

The boy blinked. "As in… a video game or something?" he asked, feeling very dubious.

Chara sighed, doing the mental equivalent of scratching her head. ' _Pretty much, I guess… When you died, we went back in time. It's… an ability you can't… I mean you obviously do have it, but… even though you...'_

Frisk raised a brow as her words were reduced to an incoherent stream of jumbled thoughts. "You're making very little sense," he complained, returning the bed to its proper place and lying on it. "How do you even know about these things?"

The girl paused for a few moments, then gulped with a throat she didn't have. ' _Before I died… There was a…scientist, here in the underworld. I… volunteered for some of his experiments. It didn't end well,_ ' she replied, sounding very defensive.

"So, you can create these SAVE points? And return to them? Perhaps it was you that…" he tried, still unable to believe such a power was real.

He felt Chara shaking her head…inside his head. ' _No. It was your Determination that created the SAVE point. And your death that returned us. No, I only ever managed to make a single one myself and I could never LOAD it without help._ ' Frisk could feel her distress growing. ' _Before we… I died, I tried my best to LOAD. I failed. I failed and we…_ ' She sighed deeply and tried to calm down. ' _I need to think about this._ '

Frisk felt her retreating to the depths of his subconscious and he mirrored her sigh. He also felt fatigue gnawing at his consciousness and before long, he was asleep once more.

**-f-c-a-**

It was late morning and Toriel was busy pretending to read one of her favourite books, her mind filled with hundreds of other thoughts. The day's food, ragout, was already being cooked by gentle fire magic.

Her mind would wander from the past, the ones that had come and gone, to the present, the boy sleeping a couple walls away, to the future she hoped for. Occasionally, dark thoughts would surface. How soon until the child became fed up with the ruins and decided to leave? How soon until he died like the others? How soon until she'd fail as a mother again?

She forced herself to stop and she sighed, removing her reading glasses. She almost gasped when she noticed the current protagonist of her hopes and dreams, standing right by the small living room's doorsill, as if expecting permission to intrude.

The child was a sight, alright, all bones and tanned skin. She noticed with satisfaction he had taken the time to shower and change clothes. She also decided, gravely, that despite his long hours of sleep, he still looked tired, weary and entirely too thin.

Toriel schooled her face into what she hoped was an indulgent smile, doing her best not to show her particularly sharp fangs. She knew from experience that they looked intimidating, especially to young humans.

"Good morning, my child…Frisk," she started, successfully recalling the name he had drowsily offered before collapsing to his bed the previous afternoon. She hesitated a bit, fearing she would sound overbearing, then went on. "I…want you to know how glad I am to have someone here."

The boy smiled back and fearlessly approached her armchair, slowly hugging her. She was taken aback at first, then responded, engulfing him in her embrace. He seemed so tiny and fragile in her grasp, she was sure for a moment she was hurting him, when he assuaged her fears by giggling. Some of her arm fur was tickling his nose.

' _You are such a big baby_ ,' commented Chara, trying to sound haughty and detached. In reality, she could also feel her mother's hug and was trying hard not to be reduced to spectral sobs.

Frisk, reading her like an open book, chose to ignore her words. "I hope I'm not a bother, mom," he muttered, way meeker than his usual mannerisms. In truth, such displays of motherly affection were foreign to him and he was determined to experience them in full, especially since the nightly shenanigans.

"Goodness, no!" exclaimed the boss monster, shaking her head. "There are so many old books I want to share. I want to show you my favourite bug-hunting sport. I've also prepared a curriculum for your education…" The human boy blinked at that, letting go and raising a brow. Toriel had the grace to blush. "I have always wanted to be a teacher…"

The human boy laughed, shaking his head. "Mom, that's not very surprising," he teased. "I think you're overthinking this. After all, we've just met," he added winking. "Not on the first date!"

Toriel eyed him open-mouthed, blinked, then snorted, barely avoiding laughing. "STILL! I am glad to have you living here," she added. "Speaking of which, are you hungry?" At his affirmative nod, she smiled. "Lunch will not be done for some time. Would you like some milk and cereal?"

**-f-c-a-**

With a full belly and Toriel resting, Frisk had followed Chara's directions and had exited the quaint home, taking a narrow path that led to a balcony carved on top of a cliff. Below them was a sprawling city, mostly abandoned and slowly crumbling to the ravages of time.

' _Behold Home, the first monster city in the underground,'_ declared Chara with much aplomb.

Frisk wordlessly admitted that the tall towers that almost reached the cavern ceiling and the wide domes were pretty impressive, though he couldn't help but feel uneasy just by standing there. "It looks empty," he decided.

Chara mentally nodded. ' _I spent my first few months after I fell living here. It was cramped, overcrowded. Most monsters eventually left for the new capital, New Home. This place was mostly abandoned_.'

There were a couple of visible lights among the many dark arches, but they only served as a reminder of how vacant the place really was.

Riding the safety rail, Frisk let his legs dangle above the void. "I want answers, Chara. I want to know what's going on."

His guide sighed, not sure from where to start. ' _What do you know of the human-monster war?_ '

Frisk shrugged. "The basics. The two fought, the humans won, the monsters were imprisoned and Mt Ebott was cursed."

Chara would have rolled her eyes if she could. ' _There is a magical barrier around this cavern. It continues through the rock and forms a perfect bubble around us. Anything can enter, but few things can exit._ '

The boy frowned. "Monsters obviously can't leave, but what about humans?"

She hesitated. ' _As you are now, you won't be able to pass,_ ' she replied evasively. ' _You are trapped along with the rest of us._ '

Frisk nodded slowly, taking in that piece of information as well as her reluctance. "We'll just have to break that barrier then," he decided, raising a brow when only silence came from Chara. "Are you okay?"

He blinked at how intense Chara sounded. ' _To break it, you need enough power to match seven strong human souls,_ ' she explained gravely. ' _I should know,_ ' she added, muttering to herself.

Her host did not quite catch that. "I see. So that's why so many monsters are aggressive. It's just like that Loox said. The monsters have a king, right? He must be collecting human souls, offering reward…"

Frisk hadn't been ready for Chara's reaction. He felt a wave of incredulousness, followed by denial, anger and a bit of doubt. ' _No way! No way would dad… He wouldn't…_ '

The boy's eyes went wide. "Dad?" he echoed. "And you called Toriel mom before. Does that mean… She's the queen! And you… I was right to call you princess! That explains a lot."

She growled in his head. ' _What does that mean?_ ' she demanded menacingly.

"Well, you are so… **imp** erious at times," he replied, sweating a bit. A second later, though, he was smiling at his own words. "You might actually be a **demon** after all. It's not that **imp** ossible. With you in my head, I might need some **exorcising** to stay fit **."**

Chara tried not to laugh, which didn't work that well, seeing as they were sharing surface thoughts. ' _If you are done being a ch_ _ **imp**_ _, I'll go on._ ' The mental conversation turned serious again. ' _I don't know how long ago I died. Death really messes up your sense of time, plus I'm pretty sure someone has been SAVing and LOADing for ages._ '

Frisk looked startled, then very interested. "Like waking up one day and knowing you've done it all before? And everybody else does the same things again, without knowing it? I thought I had been dreaming a lot, but… I could remember all those books. And other things …And so could you!"

Chara nodded. ' _That only happens when you have enough Determination to keep your memories intact. Monsters have almost no Determination and I guess even most humans don't have enough. But you and I… Even before we met, we had enough to keep something. You've been in denial, I guess, and I was…asleep, so there wasn't much we could do._ '

He stayed silent, but she could feel his mind racing. Accepting the idea of having such a power was not easy. Even Chara had to remind herself that very magic existed. ' _Anyway, what are you going to do? I know you want to return to the surface. I can also tell you like Toriel._ '

Frisk was about to answer, when he raised a brow, left the railing and bent down, picking an old-looking item. "A toy knife?"

Chara shrugged. There was something about it that called at them both, but she wasn't exactly fond of the distraction. 'It's plastic. Pretty rare down here. So about…'

He slashed at the air a few times, feeling very amused. He had handled real daggers many times before, but even a fake weapon felt right in his grasp. He extended his arm and posed dramatically, sticking his tongue out when Chara called him a dork.

"I climbed Mt. Ebott to get away from... a situation for a few months," he explained. "Maybe I'm trapped down here forever and Toriel is the only safe haven." He frowned. "Maybe all there is for me beyond those large doors is death." He did a couple stabs with the knife and Chara marveled at how fluently he moved. "I just need to be **Patient**. Take things slowly for a while. Learn what I can about and from Toriel." He took a deep breath. "Next time I leave the ruins, I'll be prepared!"

The declaration, which he believed to his core…

… **it filled him with Determination.**

Chara nodded to herself as a new golden star, only visible to them, came into existence.

**-f-c-a-**

Toriel squinted a bit as she regarded her notes once more. Frisk had been with her for almost a week and she felt she had a good enough grasp on what he knew to actually start teaching him.

The boy himself was eating a piece of snail pie, a treat he actually found tasty, looking far calmer than children in his position would.

"Your writing is pretty good and you are quite advanced in science and math, but your other subjects…" The boss monster shook her head. "Honestly, what have your teachers been thinking?"

Frisk smiled, taking a second pie piece. "Don't know, I've never been to school…"

She gawked at him, opening and closing her mouth. She hadn't actually asked him, but she had assumed… "What do you mean?"

The boy shrugged. "A… friend taught me how to read and I like spending hours in public libraries." He didn't mention much of that time had been due to LOADs. "That's probably why I know how to string two sentences together. Science was pretty interesting and I learned math on my own because… Well, I was out of money and some parents were asking for cheap tutors for their kids."

Toriel was both amazed and concerned. "You learned all this by yourself? That is… impressive." More than anything, she wanted to ask about his family above ground. She stopped herself out of fear. What if he was reminded of them and abruptly decided to leave?

Frisk reddened a bit, trying his best to ignore Chara's ensuing teasing. "I… had help. There were many good people in the libraries and they would help me when I was stumped."

The boss monster smiled radiantly at that. "Still, you are a very clever child. Now, which subject should we focus on," she muttered. Her concentration was broken when she felt the boy tugging at her sleeve. "Apologies. I zoned out for a minute."

"I said, could we start with magic?" When she didn't respond, he went on. "I can do some things that are actually pretty impressive, but I've never had formal training."

Her eyes narrowed, though her smile remained. "Show me," she replied eagerly.

He did and she could hardly believe her eyes.

**-f-c-a-**

Two days later, Toriel led Frisk to a room that had been sealed before. As soon as he entered, he could feel the resonance of magic all around him, crawling on the walls and weighing the air.

' _It's a warded room_ ,' exclaimed Chara, feeling very excited. ' _I told you mom knows her magic._ '

Frisk nodded. If he concentrated a bit, he could actually see the protective rune work, covering every surface of the otherwise bare room.

"This is an apprentice chamber," explained Toriel, her face very serious. "I confess I would normally save magical training until you were a bit older and more used to the underground. However, the talent you have shown, combined with your lack of guidance, would make that extremely dangerous." She paused a bit, eyeing him squarely. "Am I right to assume that, even if I discouraged you, you would continue exploring your magic?"

The boy smiled innocently and she sighed. "You have good control over inventory magic and body magic, but you really need to learn to externalize your power." With a wave of her hand, a collection of targets appeared on the room's far wall. "Fire magic is often seen as volatile, but it's usually the easiest to start with. Most living beings are warm, after all." With another wave, she released a trio of compact fireballs in a tight spiral, completely decimating one of the targets.

The boy seemed a bit apprehensive. "I knew you were a hot momma," he joked weakly, causing her to sigh again. More seriously, he added. "Still, this is quite different from my dummy lesson."

Toriel smiled, patting his head. "I know you will not use such magic unless in dire need. However, to progress and learn subtler applications, you must endure this stage. To be honest, I do not know how effective my lessons will be. Monsters and humans have quite a different relationship with magic, and while I have taught humans before..."

Extending his arm, palm facing forward, he listened to her instructions carefully, then concentrated.

Two hours later, he had only managed to produce sparks.

Despite Toriel's patience and gentle encouragement, Frisk was practically growling in frustration. "If you have any ideas, now is the time to help me," he mouthed silently, frowning when he felt Chara shaking her head at him.

' _You're hopeless,_ ' she decided. ' _Listen genius. Monster bodies are made of magic so they can access it easier. Humans only have magic in their souls, so you need to visualize it flowing to your hand._ ' She smiled smugly. ' _You are very lucky to have me. I wish I had had an intelligent ghost guide when I was trying this._ '

"Now you are a ghost again?" he taunted, before following her advice. He pictured his soul as a powerful pump and a multitude of pipes coiling around his arm. He envisioned magic as a liquid, rising in pressure, rushing through his body, collecting just in front of his palm. He felt his Determination roaring like a golden dragon, fueling his magic, radiating from his whole body.

Frisk returned to reality as a combination of urgent warnings from both inside and outside demanded his attention. Opening eyes he didn't remember closing, he gawked at the ball of fire before him, almost as large as he was tall and wobbling menacingly. Reflexively, he tried to shake it off his hand and only managed to make it more unstable.

"Frisk, you have to release it!" implored Toriel. "Imagine something to launch it from. Send it as far down the room as you can."

A hastily visualized cannon. A shout of warning. A feeling of dread as the wall was shattered. A mass of white fur engulfing him. A wave of powerful heat.

He tried to move, stopping at Toriel's grunt of pain. "Mom, are you alright?" he asked desperately.

The boss monster chuckled, releasing him from her protective hug, then waved her non-burnt arm. Cracked skin returned to normal and charred white fur regrew in an instant, until her extensive burns were nothing more than a memory. "Do not fret, my child," she replied, now able to breathe without pain. "Let me see whether you have injured yourself. I am astounded at your progress, but also ashamed I did not anticipate this…"

**-f-c-a-**

The room had been decimated, but Frisk had only suffered superficial burns, which had already been healed by the motherly monster. Sitting on his bed, he allowed himself a semi-proud smile. Though explosive, it had been progress.

It lasted until Chara's acidic remark. ' _What you did was so stupid!_ '

He frowned. "Look, I know I messed up the spell, but…"

She interrupted him. ' _No, no! I'm not talking about that. If anything, Toriel and I were to blame. You were the novice there. At least we were inside wards, so you didn't burn down half the underworld. I meant what you asked her afterwards. Utterly stupid!_ '

Frisk scratched his head. "I just told her I'd like to learn a cold resistance spell. What's so bad about that? They are fire-aligned, aren't they?"

Chara did a mental facepalm. ' _You asked that just after you were both almost burnt to cinders. Don't you think it's suspicious? Anyone without an agenda would have asked for a fire-resistance spell instead! I'm pretty sure Toriel knows how cold it is outside the ruins._ '

The boy gulped. "Ok, I agree. That was a bit stupid."

She sighed. ' _You'd be lucky if she isn't sealing the doors right now._ '

His eyes went wide at the thought and he promptly stood up, exiting his room with undue stealth. Ignoring Chara's further comments, he crept along the corridor, then down the stairs, expecting Toriel to just materialize behind him and stop him. He knew it was too early for her to be asleep and yet he kept on, almost sprinting, still mostly silent.

He saw her just in time to hide behind one of the tunnel's supporting pillars. The relative darkness was working to his benefit, since the boss monster had conjured a magelight, a plain, luminous orb suspended above her head.

Toriel was uncharacteristically sitting on the floor just next to the doors, back propped against the wall, her arms hugging her legs. Frisk had expected her to be stressing about him like she often did, but instead she appeared relaxed. She was laughing while having a conversation with someone on the other side of the portal, but he could only hear her voice at his distance.

"…because it was going to the **flesh** tival!" she finished, giggling at her own words. "I know, it was good," she replied at what Frisk guessed had been praise.

She stayed silent for a minute and the two children could almost feel the air getting heavier. "Say… This is hard for me to ask, but I have a request. I know you are supposed to be a sentry, but… if a human ever comes through this door… watch over them and protect them, will you not?"

The reply did not come at once, so Toriel continued. "I know you hate making promises and that is why I am asking you. You have proven your integrity to me, so I know that, should you accept, you will do your best."

After another long pause, her face lit up brighter than her light. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Feeling he had eavesdropped more than enough, Frisk slowly retreated, returning to his room, deeply in thought.

' _Mom will be mom, I guess,_ ' chirped Chara, wanting to break the silence, if only in their mind.

"I would have expected a request like: 'Bring him back' or even 'Please call me'," he said, biting his lip. "For all her praise and compassion, mom has never acknowledged my independence. Even that test of hers in the long corridor was almost insulting…"

Chara did the mental equivalent of a sad smile. ' _And yet, she believes there is a chance you will leave. She accepts it enough to make plans for you beyond her doorstep._ '

Frisk nodded. "I won't let her down. I refuse to stay trapped down here because of ancient history. I'll get out and I'll do my best to bring mom along! She deserves it."

The dead girl nodded at him, inwardly hoping he would end up better than she had.

**End of chapter 4.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments!
> 
> Regarding characters that use uncommon spelling, such as all lowercase like Sans, I won't be using their quirks. After all, I can't exactly set different fonts either, so I won't bother.
> 
> I've also addressed another element that is rarely touched upon: Flowey has been resetting for ages and anyone with high determination, like Frisk, must have been somewhat aware of the fact. Here, he has been blocking it out, but he still benefitted from the extra time.
> 
> As for the promise Toriel extracted, it only makes sense that it happened because of Frisk. After all, humans rarely climb Mt. Ebott and many monsters don't even recognize him as one from a distance.


End file.
